Thursday, December 8, 2016

The Madrid Pen Show took place from November 18 - 20, 2016 at the NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding Hotel. Stephen and I were very lucky to be sponsored to attend the show by one of my own sponsors, Iguana Sell! We also had an opportunity to visit their amazing boutique (post to come on that). A big thank you to the team over at Iguana Sell for being such warm, welcoming hosts, and for making this happen! Stephen's recap can be seen here.

This was a great show, simple as that. Obviously, I could ramble about all the beautiful pens and inks and paper and all the wonderful people, but first, a few interesting things:

What makes a show a lot of fun is not only a great location with lots of good food, but also great people. I met quite a few wonderful pen friends who I had interacted with online, and others who I had never spoken with before. I felt so honored to have my picture taken with other pen lovers, and to meet some of the greats in the pen world. It was a warm, welcoming atmosphere that made me feel like I was part of a community. The amount of knowledge swirling around is astounding. I was in awe many times, listening to vendors talk to other pen lovers and collectors, and vice versa.

Three days, long hours. That means plenty of time to browse, explore, interact, and no stress to buy anything immediately because you only have a five hour window before the show is over (hello, Tilburg). Three days is exhausting for the vendors, but I hope it was fruitful. It was so nice to be able to browse leisurely, and not feel rushed. I could try pens, look at all sorts of pens I didn't even know existed, and chat with so many people.

The entry was fee was affordable: € 3,00 per day or a three day pass: € 5,00. Better yet, you could bring in an invitation and entry was free. They even provided a fan (useful because it was quite warm) and an eraser! If you're thinking about attending, I give it two thumbs up. There's plenty to enjoy, even if you don't want to buy anything!

Enjoy a few pictures:

Enough blabber. I have another post with some more close ups of pens I found interesting, or beautiful. You can check the Fountain Pens section for more pen show recaps and other Field Trips.

The Kaweco calligraphy set comes in a metal tin with a clear window, inside a cardboard sleeve that slides off the tin. Inside the tin, there are felt molds that hold the individual components in place - one pen body and three extra nibs, as well as three nib covers, and two boxes of Kaweco ink cartridge.

APPEARANCE

This pen is a compact pocket pen with a simple design. The top of the cap has the Kaweco medallion in silver, which matches the Kaweco script on the side of the body. The body is hard black plastic with a screw-on cap that is also postable. The barrel and cap have eight sides, which smooth out towards the ends. The section is small, but then, it is a very small pen, and it flares slightly towards the nib.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The nib is a simple small steel nib. The size matches the rest of the body well. The Kaweco logo is stamped on the nib, along with the size of the nib. There is a single breather hole and one slit running to the tip of the tines. The nibs are more decorated now than they used to be, and I like the improvement a lot.

These calligraphy nibs are steel and were quite pleasing in their smoothness. It's very convenient that you can have all four units inked at the same time, with different cartridges, and that the protective covers keep the ink wet while not in use. The nibs perform well - putting down consistent lines. Generally with calligraphy-style writing, I tend to go slowly, so the ink flow keeps up pretty well, particularly with the smaller sized nibs.

I like to make little sample vials with various inks and dip them to create gradients!IN HAND

In hand, the Kaweco Classic Sport is very comfortable for me. I can use it both posted and unposted, but it's very small unposted so I always use it posted. It's just the right length and diameter when posted, and fits comfortably in my grip. I never find my hands growing weary of writing with it. It's not heavy and its balance is nice. This is a versatile calligraphy set. The Kaweco Classic Sport is just a plastic body though, and it does have a bit of a cheap feeling to it.PROS

Interchangeable nib units - more economical than purchasing one of each pen.

The Kaweco Classic Sport is a plastic body - it can be scratched and damaged, but it's also affordable to replace if it's terribly damaged.

Protective nib covers are easy to lose!

Larger nib sizes (1.9mm and 2.3mm) run dry with faster writing.

OVERALL

If you're looking for a calligraphy set, this is a fun choice - it's pretty robust for regular use. It's also a complete set so you don't have to worry about finding all the parts individually. I usually write slowly when I'm practicing calligraphy, so this pace helps the feed keep up with ink demands. It's an affordable set to play with and practice your calligraphy with. You can even just use it for adding some character to your writing! This is also a great gift idea.